Sanitary wash-stand or sink unit fitting

ABSTRACT

A sanitary wash-stand or sink unit fitting includes in known fashion a sanitary fitting which can be mounted on the edge portion of a wash-stand or sink unit and a discharge valve for the sink unit and wash-stand. The discharge valve has a valve housing which can be mounted at the lowest point of the basin of the wash-stand or sink unit and a closing member which is movable with respect to the valve housing. One end portion of an actuating member, e.g. a multi-link rod assembly, passes through a through-bore of the sanitary fitting and carries an actuating knob. The other end of the actuating member is connected to an actuating mechanism for the closing member located in the valve housing. The actuating knob projects from the sanitary fitting only in the closed position of the discharge valve. In the open position of the discharge valve the actuating knob is completely recessed in the sanitary fitting; in this position its outer end face is flush with the adjacent surface portions of the sanitary fitting. The discharge valve can be closed only by pressing on the closing member of the discharge valve, but not by pulling the actuating knob of the actuating member.

BACKGROUND ART

The invention relates to a sanitary wash-stand or sink unit fitting,comprising

-   -   a) a sanitary fitting which can be mounted on the edge portion        of a wash-stand or sink unit;    -   b) a discharge valve which in turn includes:        -   ba) a valve housing which can be mounted at the lowest point            of the base of the wash-stand or sink unit;        -   bb) a closing member which is movable with respect to the            valve housing and which abuts a sealing face of the valve            housing in the closed position of the discharge valve and is            spaced from said sealing face in the open position of the            discharge valve; and    -   c) an actuating member,        -   ca) one end portion of which passes through a through-bore            of the sanitary fitting and carries an actuating knob which            projects from the sanitary fitting in the closed position of            the discharge valve;        -   cb) the other end of which is connected to an actuating            mechanism for the closing member, which actuating mechanism            is located in the valve housing.

Practically all currently known sanitary wash-stand or sink unitfittings are configured in the manner mentioned above. Actuation of thedischarge valve is effected exclusively via the actuating knob of theactuating member, which is pulled up to close the discharge valve andpushed down to open the discharge valve. For this purpose the actuatingknob projects above the outer contour of the sanitary fitting and isgenerally provided with a larger diameter than the actuating memberconnected therein. In this way the user's fingers can grasp around andbehind the actuating knob so that the tractive force required to closethe discharge valve can be easily applied. The disadvantage of thisknown configuration is that the actuating knob projecting from thesanitary fitting is a contamination trap in which, in particular, limeor other deposits can collect, and that, in addition, the opticalappearance of the sanitary fitting as a whole is impaired.

It is an object of the present invention to configure a sanitarywash-stand or sink unit fitting of the above-mentioned type that can becleaned more easily and completely and is optically more appealing.

This object is achieved according to the invention in that

-   -   d) in the closed position of the discharge valve the actuating        knob is fully recessed in the sanitary fitting and its outer end        face is flush with the adjacent surface regions of the sanitary        fitting.

According to the invention the previously customary concept foroperating the discharge valve is abandoned: only the opening movement ofthe closing member of the discharge valve is brought about by pressingon the actuating knob, which projects from the sanitary fitting only inthe closed position of the discharge valve. In the open position of thedischarge valve, by contrast, which is generally the position in whichthe discharge valve remains longest, the actuating knob is no longeraccessible and also is not visible. In this way, firstly, the opticalappearance of the whole sanitary fitting is improved and, secondly, thedanger of contamination deposits forming on the actuating knob or thetransition zone between the actuating knob and the actuating member isreduced. With the wash-stand or sink unit fitting according to theinnovation, closing of the discharge valve is no longer effected bymeans of the actuating knob but by pressing on the closing member of thedischarge valve.

The actuating member used in the wash-stand or sink unit fittingaccording to the invention must be so configured that forces can betransmitted by pressure (thrust) in both directions. In one embodimentthe actuating member is a rod assembly comprising a plurality ofarticulated individual links. In another embodiment a Bowden cable isused as the actuating member.

The actuating knob may be sealed with respect to the through-bore of thesanitary fitting by a seal, so that water cannot penetrate to theinterior through the gap between actuating knob and fitting housing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An embodiment of the invention is elucidated in detail below withreference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a wash-stand fitting in a schematic side view and partiallyin section, with the discharge valve open; and

FIG. 2 shows the wash-stand fitting of FIG. 1 in a similar view, butwith the discharge valve closed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The wash-stand fitting illustrated in the drawings, which is denoted asa whole by reference numeral 1, includes a single-lever mixer 2 and adischarge valve 3 which is mounted at the lowest point in the basin of awash-stand 4.

The single-lever mixer 2 is fixed in known fashion (not shown) to theedge of the wash-stand 4 by means of a threaded pin 5, a fixing plate 6and a screwing part 7 screwed on to the threaded pin 5. A through-bore 8passes through the lower rear portion of the fitting body 9 of thesingle-lever mixer 2 from the rear, lateral face of the fitting body 9to its end face 10 at the bottom.

The discharge valve 3 includes a valve housing 11 the upper portion ofwhich is fitted in a sealed manner into the base aperture of thewash-stand 4. A closing member 12 which in turn includes a downwardlysealed valve disc 13 and a guide stem 14 is guided in a verticallydisplaceable manner with respect to the valve housing 11 of thedischarge valve 3.

The discharge valve 3 is connected to the single-lever mixer 2 via a rodassembly 23 including two links 23 a, 23 b. The first link 23 a issubstantially a straight rod which has at its upper end an actuatingknob 24 of increased diameter. In the closed position of the dischargevalve 3, illustrated in FIG. 1, the actuating knob 24 is recessed fullyin the through-bore 8 of the fitting housing 9. Its external end face 15is disposed at an acute angle to the axis of the actuating knob 14 andis so formed that in the closed position of the discharge valve 3 it iscompletely flush with the adjacent surface portions of the single-levermixer 2. No corners or projections which might impair the aestheticappearance or form contamination traps are therefore present at thislocation.

The second link 23 b of the rod assembly 23 is inserted in known fashionin the housing 11 of the discharge valve 3, in which it is connected toa mechanism, known as such, by means of which the closing member 12 ofthe discharge valve 3 can be moved vertically. In addition, the twolinks 23 a and 23 b are articulated to one another via a connectingmember 16.

As FIG. 1 makes clear, it is not possible to close the closing member 12of the discharge valve 3 in conventional fashion by pulling theactuating knob 24, since in the open position of the discharge valve 3the actuating knob 24 is completely recessed in the fitting housing 9 ofthe single-lever mixer 2. The user's fingers can gain no purchase here.If the discharge valve 3 is to be closed, therefore, the user pressesthe valve closing member 12 axially downwards, whereby the latterreaches the position illustrated in FIG. 2, in which it abuts thecomplementary sealing face of the valve housing 11 and thus preventswater from flowing out of the basin of the wash-stand 4. The verticaldownward movement of the closing member 12 is transmitted by the rodassembly 23 a, 23 b to the actuating knob 24 which, as can be seen fromFIG. 2, is now pushed out of the fitting housing 9 of the single-levermixer 2 and projects beyond same. If the discharge valve 3 is to beopened again, pressure can now be exerted on the projecting portion ofthe actuating knob 24 and the actuating knob 24 can be pushed back intothe through-bore 8 of the fitting housing 9, which movement isassociated with a corresponding upward movement of the closing member 12into the open position illustrated in FIG. 1.

While specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein,numerous modifications may come to mind without significantly departingfrom the spirit of the invention, and the scope of protection is onlylimited by the scope of the accompanying Claims.

1. Sanitary wash-stand or sink unit fitting, comprising a) a sanitaryfitting which can be mounted on an edge portion of one of a wash-standor sink unit; b) a discharge valve which in turn includes: ba) a valvehousing which can be mounted at a lowest point of a base of thewash-stand or sink unit; bb) a closing member which is movable withrespect to the valve housing and which abuts a sealing face of the valvehousing in a closed position of the discharge valve and is spaced fromsaid sealing face in an open position of the discharge valve; c) anactuating member, ca) a first end portion of which passes through athrough-bore of the sanitary fitting and carries an actuating knob whichprojects from the sanitary fitting in the closed position of thedischarge valve; cb) a second end of which is connected to an actuatingmechanism for the closing member, which actuating mechanism is locatedin the valve housing, characterised in that d) in the closed position ofthe discharge valve the actuating knob is fully recessed in the sanitaryfitting and its outer end face is flush with adjacent surface regions ofthe sanitary fitting.
 2. Sanitary wash-stand or sink unit fittingaccording to claim 1, characterised in that the actuating member is arod assembly including a plurality of individual links articulated toone another.
 3. Sanitary wash-stand or sink unit fitting according toclaim 1, characterised in that the actuating member is a Bowden cable.